Unread Mail – Are You A Spammer?

When I think of spammers, I think of bad guys who sit in dark basements trying to make money off of unsuspecting consumers. They make offers, claims, and promises that they never intend to keep. Recipients of their spammy mail are at the very least annoyed–or at the worst infuriated.

But here’s the surprising thing, you could technically be a spammer. Yes, you!

Spamhaus, an international organization that tracks spammers and related activity, defines spam as, “unsolicited bulk email. Unsolicited indicates that the recipient has not granted verifiable permission for the message to be sent. Bulk means that the message is sent as part of a larger collection of messages with substantively identical content.”

This means that you, a well-intentioned sender, could very well be spamming your recipients! In fact, the engagement metrics of spammers and overly-aggressive marketers can often look the same. How is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to tell the difference between the two? Often times, ISPs err on the side of caution and send your email into the spam folder.

The good news is, there are steps you can take to make sure that your mail isn’t mistaken for spam! Check out our Unread Mail episode below to find out how.

If you realize your program could be toeing the line of spam right now, you’re already well on your way to turning things around! Now you’re armed with the knowledge and tools to make things right with your recipients. Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode (and to John Krasinski for his all-too-appropriate gifs from The Office).

When Kate isn’t trying to teach herself the ukelele, make it through the mountain of books on her nightstand, or figure out if they are actually being serious about suggested serving sizes on ice cream, she is the Creative Content Manager.